TECH: JetBlue to offer in-flight Internet through ViaSat

The two companies announced their tentative deal to provide
broadband Wi-Fi on Wednesday. A formal agreement is expected by the
end of the year, they said. Systems are scheduled to be installed
starting in mid-2012.

Pricing has yet to be determined, said Bryan Baldwin, a JetBlue
spokesman.

Under the deal, Carlsbad-based ViaSat will provide modems and
other hardware to JetBlue's fleet, and bandwidth through ViaSat's
satellites. The first satellite, called ViaSat-1, is scheduled to
be launched in April, said Bill Sullivan, ViaSat's director for
business development of broadband systems.

The goal is provide common Internet uses such as Web access,
e-mail and secure access to private corporate networks comparable
with what's available to customers at home, Sullivan said. In
addition, the in-flight Internet will provide "a good, solid media
experience," such as streaming music and videos, he said.

ViaSat's satellites will use a higher frequency and capacity
portion of the spectrum, designated by the government with the name
Ka, than do comparable satellites, which use another portion called
Ku, Sullivan said.

Other airlines will be offered Internet service, Sullivan said.
The service will be managed by a JetBlue subsidiary, LiveTV LLC,
which will deal with the other airlines.

ViaSat will also use its satellite capacity to offer Internet to
customers on the ground, as a substitute for DSL, cable modem and
other wired broadband service. It's already providing wireless
Internet through existing satellites for customers in Europe,
Canada, Mexico and other areas.